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Leaves hair shiny and soft

I am fairly new to the world of home hair dye. I tried once to dye my hair blonde and it went awfully wrong I ended up a lovely shade of yellow and it put me off for years. Then last year I had my hair coloured brown instead of my natural dark blonde with highlights. In an attempt to save money between colours I now use a box dye to cover my roots and have a trim in between this saves me money and I only go for a salon colour maybe 3 times a year.

I have tried a couple of colours and my favourite is Garnier Olia but in a magazine I read about this particular colour and it was voted the best home colourant (permanent) I must have overlooked this in Tesco because the packaging didn't look as appealing as some of the other brands. For some reason in a few places I have looked this colour is also towards the bottom of the shelf.

I bought this colour last week for £6.40 in Tesco they also have an offer 2 for £10. I chose shade 6 which is a natural light brown. I chose this because my natural colour is a dark blonde and the box tells you not to go more than two shades lighter. There is a little guide at the top showing you what to expect the colour to come out like so I used this as a guide.

There are over 30 colours in the range so there will be something to suit everyone, if you are stuck you can look on the L'Oreal website as it has a colour guide to help you pick the perfect shade.

The colour is described as a triple creme colour which strengthens, protects and replenishes hair as well as preventing breakage during colouring. The colour offers 100% grey coverage and provides a rich long lasting colour.

To use the colour you are recommended to do a patch text first and wait 48 hours before taking the plunge.

Inside the box you get a serum, developer, colour cream, comb, gloves and a balm. The instructions in the box are really clear and easy to follow. As I have coloured my hair within the last 3 months I followed the first set of instructions. Before you apply the colour you need to smooth the serum through your hair concentrating on the damaged areas. You leave the serum in and then apply the colour on top. The serum has a lovely smell to it and is really rich and creamy I smoothed it on the ends and mid lengths of my hair smoothing the remaining amount on the roots.

After you have smoothed the serum on you need to mix the colour by squeezing the colour into the developer. The mixture doesn't smell too bad it isn't as powerful as some home colourants I have used. Once the dye is mixed you need to apply to the roots first by parting a small section at a time and squeezing the application along the roots before massaging in wearing the gloves.

The dye is a thick cream and it doesn't drip the applicator delivers enough dye with precision.

Once all your roots are covered you need to wait for 20 minutes for the colour to develop.

After the 20 minutes have elapsed you then need to apply the remaining colour to the lengths and ends. The colour comes with a comb that attaches to the bottle to allow you to easily comb the remaining colour through the hair. After all the colour is used you then need to leave it for another 10 minutes.

Once the colour has developed you need to wet your hair and massage the colour through before rinsing until the water runs clear.

The last step of colouring is to apply the balm which needs to be massaged in and left for 2 minutes to condition the hair. There is enough balm for 2-3 subsequent hair washes.

The first thing I noticed after using this colour was that I didn't see a lot of hair in the bath. In the past some colours I have used have caused a lot of breakage and my plug hole ends up clogged. I dried my hair as normal and it was then I could see the full results. My hair looked really shiny and healthy, the colour has covered evenly and it had blended in with my last colour which was done in the salon at the beginning of December. I had blonde roots poking through which we covered and blended with the rest of my hair easily. The colour didn't look flat so my hair looked really healthy and the colour is flattering.

This colour looks really nice and I will be using it in future. I think the serum you apply before colouring really makes a difference it protects the hair from damage during colouring and leaves it looking soft and shiny.

The only thing I am unable to comment on is grey coverage as fortunately I have none but a work colleague has told me that this dye does an excellent job on greys.

This is L'Oreals best colour in my opinion. Top Marks.

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All in all very happy, colour could have been lighter, but otherwise a great product!

I had highlights last year and when I became unable to keep up with them, dyed my dark brown over them. I found that after a few weeks the colour disappears from some of the highlighted sections leaving my hair looking uneven in places. In a few weeks we'll be going on holiday and realising that sun and sea will probably make this problem worse, decided to lighten up a bit! I decided on shade 8.1, natural ash blonde. Not because I want to be blonde, I'm going for a light brown which the back of the packet said it would make me.

Before dying my hair I was slightly worried that it would destroy it! My hair is a bit on the dry side with split ends after making the mistake of dying it with Garnier Olia (avoid like the plague!). I decided to take the risk...I bought 2 boxes because I'm tired of trying to stretch the dye out to make it last for my whole head. I've recently dyed my hair with garnier nutrisse and it turned out a bit uneven I think because of this.

This kit has a separate step to other colours, in the form of a protective serum to apply to the hair before applying the colourant. I used 2 bottles of this as I planned on using 2 bottles of dye. It was enough to spread from mid length to tips on my hair, which is below shoulders but fairly fine. This applied I put on the included gloves, mixed the colourant and set to applying it to my hair. The bottle is the standard type with a nozzle to apply the dye but has a comb attachment if you prefer to use that. I stuck to the nozzle, applying to roots first, rubbing it in a bit, then applying through the lengths. This part usually takes me ages! Trying to spread it out and get it all even, checking to see if I've missed a spot. This time - five minutes! The solution is quite thin but not runny and it just glided through my hair. The second bottle was left unopened as there were no problems getting this evenly distributed with plenty of it on.

I sat with the dye on my head for 30 mins, as per the instructions, all the usual worry going through my head. Will my hair be orange? Will I have damaged it so much it snaps off and feels like straw? Will I rinse it off and all my hair with it, leaving me completely bald... (!)

Rinsing time arrive and I jumped in the shower, applied a little water to my head, and gently rubbed it into my hair, then rinsed. Wow! This did not feel like rinsing off hair colour, more like a deep conditioner! It all rinsed out easily, much quicker than other hair colours I've used.

The final step - conditioner. It comes with the conditioner in a little bottle wit enough for two applications, the instructions say to leave it on for two minutes. It's a very thick consistency with a lovely floral scent. On rinsing I had another wow! moment. Hair felt so silky and in great condition. Hair didn't really look like it had changed very much at this point so I set about drying it so I could fully see the results.

OK, it's not light brown, but it has lightened it a bit. I don't think it would look too bad at this stage if the highlights started showing through again. I do want to be lighter though, so will be doing it again in a couple of weeks. The condition though is fantastic! It actually looks better than before I died it and feels really soft.

It is difficult going lighter with home colouring kits, but I aren't prepared to use a bleaching kit, so I had realistic expectations that my hair wouldn't lighten up to the full level I'd like it to. The box did give a much lighter colour projection for my hair colour though so based only on this I'm going to knock one star off. Everything else though was fantastic. Five stars for ease of use, smell, hair condition and time taken for the process. From starting the application to rinsing the conditioner off only took an hour. I'm a complete convert from Garnier Nutrisse now and would recommend this to anyone.

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A good quality hair dye from L'Oreal...

~ BACKGROUND INFO - WHY DID I BUY? ~

I regularly get my hair professionally coloured at a local salon, however the price of having this process carried out has increased recently. To make matters worse, my shoulder-length hair grows at an incredible rate, with any greys and unsightly roots start to appear about ten days after having the colouring treatment carried out due to the sheer speed of my hairs' growth.

The last few times I have visited my salon I have had little change left over from £60, so it was starting to become apparent that I was going to need to invest in a home-dye kit to 'touch up' my roots at home, to try and prolong the time between necessary salon visits.

After much consideration and procrastinating over the huge abundance of hair dye kits on offer in a local branch of Tesco, I eventually decided to try out the "L'Oreal Paris Excellence Creme". The main reason for me choosing this dye over any other was that it appeared to be the nearest colour to my existing shade, which is a VERY dark brown. In certain light, my hair actually looks black, so any sort of light or medium brown shade is not a good match, and past experience with other hair dye products has proven this fact, leaving the root area a shade or two lighter than it really needed to be.

The shade I opted for was 03 - Natural Darkest Brown. I believe there were a good dozen or shades on display to choose from, ranging from blondes to light browns and dark browns through to black. I paid around £7 for the box of L'Oreal Paris Excellence Crème which I thought was a reasonable enough price. It may be worth noting that the product's box has changed slightly in recent times, and no longer looks like that shown at the top of the Dooyoo page here. The product also claims a "New Balm" on the front of the box. It's a shame that L'Oreal didn't see fit to 'update' the packaging slightly to make it more appealing, as it has a sort of old fashioned look about it, from the 80's style hairdo sported by the model on the front of the box, to the overall branding and image portrayed.. To my mind, this dye is intended for people older than me, but I was more concerned with the SHADES of the dyes available, and this one met my requirements the best.

~ WHAT'S IN THE BOX? ~

The box for the product is made of thin cardboard, as is the case with most other hair dye kits I have used before. In the case of the L'Oreal Paris Hair, we have a few more items contained in the box than with other similar products however. The box contained:

* A pair of thin plastic gloves contained in a small plastic 'egg' shaped container* A very small tube of "Protective Serum" (12ml)* A larger tube of "Crème Colourant"* A bottle of "Crème Developer"* A pink 'comb' attachment, which can be used to separate the hair and apply the colour to the roots.* A bottle of "Conditioning Treatment" (44ml) - enough for at least two uses, dependant on hair length.

First impressions were good; I thought that all of the products contained in the box looked to be of a very high quality, with the exception perhaps of the gloves, which were made of the usual very thin plastic material I have come to expect with home dye kits.

~ PREPARATION! ~

Anybody who regularly uses a home dye hair colouring kit will, I'm sure, be well aware that preparation is the key to success - and you can probably skip this part of my review. For anybody who has not carried out this (tedious!) process before however, I thought it might be helpful to list a few hints and tips to help along the way. For myself, I only ever use extremely dark hair colours, and as these can cause extensive staining and discolouration, I find that I need to be prepared to carry out the process with success.

Firstly, I always assume there will be staining. On the rare occasions that this doesn't occur, the most inconvenience I will have suffered will be to discard items that I had prepared - hardly the end of the world. If staining does occur however, I can cope with this better by being prepared. The first thing I always do is to have an old bowl nearby, half filled with warm water, with some cotton wool pads soaking within. This means that if I need to remove the dark hair dye from my hairline or face, I don't need to faff around turning on taps and removing stained gloves and the like - it is there waiting for me. I also apply a thick layer of Vaseline around the hair line at the forehead as this acts as a protective barrier towards staining creeping onto the forehead. It works like a dream, and I will often apply it to other areas too, such as the tops of my ears or around the sides of the hairline. A word of warning though - ensure that NO Vaseline gets onto the hair itself, as this could easily interfere with the hair dye you are about to apply, causing a patchy result or inconsistencies in your blocked colour.

I always put on an old pair of pyjamas to carry out my hair dye routine, which is something I started to do after I lost count of the amount of tops and t-shirts that had to be binned due to dark, unsightly drip marks around the shoulders. I always use an old towel too, as well as an old hand towel for washing my hands and the like - that hair dye gets everywhere!

Finally, I get something to wrap around my hair during the "Waiting Time." This is imperative as far as I am concerned, as it lets me go about my business during the WT without stressing about my long hair swooshing about, causing dye to 'flick' off of the lengths, landing goodness knows where. It also acts well at 'holding' my hair off my neck, causing possible staining and discolouration in this area. My item of choice is usually a shower cap, as I find this holds the hair perfectly in place and doesn't come off too easily. I have also used an old 'Turbie Towel' as well as a carrier bag (!) however, and I find that it doesn't matter too much as long as the hair is out of the way. Some hair dyes have a WT that is over 30 minutes, and that is just too long for me to have wet, dyed hair flapping about that could easily cause permanent discolouration to my surroundings.

At this stage, I always pray that no unexpected visitors or guests arrive on my doorstep.... Particularly as I am wearing old pyjamas (complete with old hair-dye splatters!) and will be wearing a fetching shower cap very shortly..!!

There was one more step needed with the L'Oreal Excellence Crème hair dye, by way of the little tube of "Protective Serum" that was provided in the box. The serum is to be applied to dry hair BEFORE you apply the dye itself, and should be kept on the hair throughout the dying process. The serum should only be applied to the ends and the lengths of the hair - according to the packaging these are the areas that need protecting from the chemicals the most. Applying the serum to these areas of my hair took only a few moments but I did feel like it was a bit "gimmicky" particularly as I have been dying my hair for absolute YEARS and have never come across such a serum product included in a hair dye kit before. Nevertheless, I smoothed it over the ends of my hair and hoped for the best...

~ APPLICATION ~

As with most hair dye products these days, I had to mix two products together, by adding the "Crème Colourant" to the bottle of "Crème Developer" which was easy to do. Shaking the Developer bottle vigorously once the other product had been added allowed the two to mix fully and completely after a few moments.

The L'Oreal Excellence Crème product comes supplied with a little plastic comb attachment that can be screwed onto the top of the bottle to comb the product through the hair. Whilst I found this helpful for covering the 'lengths' of the hair later on, in the initial stages I wanted to concentrate on the root area and regrowth around the hairline, so I found the plain 'nozzle' at the end of the bottle's tip was best for this.

The dye itself was easy enough to apply, with it being slightly thinner than many other dyes that I have used in recent times. It was not so thin that it actually 'ran' from my hair once applied, but I did find it 'dripped' from my hands and from the bottle MUCH easier than other products, so I found the product was messier to use as a result. The thin nature of the dye allowed it to be 'spread' over the hair and roots easily, coating them with its dark liquid. As with most hair dye products, the L'Oreal Crème had a very strong smell that was quite 'chemical' like and I always find it best to open a window whilst the dying process is being carried out.

The instructions enclosed with the dye advise that for root re-growth application (which is of course what I had opted for) I should leave the dye on the root area for 20 minutes before applying the remainder of the dye to the rest of the hair, carrying it through to the ends. I followed these instructions to the letter, and noted that there was plenty of liquid dye left in the applicator bottle to carry this out easily. I opted at this point to change the nozzle on the applicator bottle for the little comb and found this worked well at helping to 'comb' a section of hair and separate it, ready to receive it's dye ration; the fingers of the comb worked well distributing the dye along the hair shaft, ready to be smoothed over with my gloved hand. After this process was complete, I had to wait a further ten minutes before rinsing.

~ RINSING & END RESULTS ~

When it came to rinsing the dye from my head, I again followed the instruction leaflet to the letter and this meant applying a little hot water to my dye-covered head and rubbing through the dye to produce a slight lather. After a minute or so, I proceeded with rinsing the product form my hair until the water ran clear. Admittedly, this took a fair amount of time as the colour of my chosen dye was so dark, but if you have somebody to help you it would probably be easier! After a short while the water ran clear and I could proceed with applying the "Conditioning Treatment" which was very easy to do and took a mere moment to squeeze from the bottle. There was ample conditioner provided to allow a further two applications, which I used the next times I washed my hair as per the instructions provided with the product.

I found the conditioner had a very strong scent which I didn't particularly like, but this is something that could be said of most conditioner products that are provided with hair dyes to be fair! I did find the conditioner was very easy to apply and it took a mere moment to apply to my whole head, with particular attention being paid to the ends and 'length' of my hair. The scent of the conditioner was evident on my hair for a couple of days after use.

The end result was one that I was pleased with, for the most part. I found that the colour of the L'Oreal Crème really blended well with my existing colour, resulting in an all-over colour that was rather 'camouflaged' instead of being too noticeable. The colour seemed to cover any stray grey hairs really well, and I noticed only one or two still evident following application which is probably down to me applying the hair dye by myself, rather than having somebody on hand to help out.

The colour lasted really well and didn't fade for a good couple of weeks which is pretty good going as some home dye kits seem to fade ridiculously quickly - frustrating after the effort and time being spent to dye the hair in the first place!

I didn't notice any considerable damage to my precious tresses from using the dye, and in actual fact I thought that it felt quite gentle when compared to other home dye kits. My hair tends to suffer from a little breakage when using a home dye kit, although not to excess, and I found that there was hardly any breakage when using the L'Oreal Excellence Crème. This led me to believe that the product was slightly 'nourishing' and so I would agree with the claims on the product's packaging to this effect.. "Strengthens, Protects, Replenishes." and "Pro-Keratin" are all music to my ears, as I am always on the lookout for products that cause minimal damage to hair, or have some sort of restoration qualities within their formulation.

In summary, I would highly recommend the L'Oreal Excellence Crème and am really pleased I took the plunge and tried it out. Don't be put off by the 'dated' looking packaging or the ridiculous, out-dated hairstyles the models on the boxes are showing... this is actually a pretty good product when all is said and done, and I have already repurchased it for the next time I need to 'touch up' my greys!

The L'Oreal Excellence dyes can be purchased in larger branches of Tesco, as well as branches of Boots. As @ the time of writing (August 2012), there is a promotion running in Boots, where you can buy two boxes of this hair dye for the sum of £10, which I think is great value. The normal price is in the region of £6 - £8, depending on where you buy.

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Lightest Blonde hair colourant.

~ THE HAIR COLOUR ~ The hair dye is made by L'Oreal Paris and is shade 01 which is Lightest, natural blonde. The hair dye is new and is part of the blonde supreme range. As the colour is permanent it will gradually grow out, and will not wash out. It covers all grey perfectly and is a non-drip conditioning crème enriched with Pro-Keratin. With this hair dye colourant there is no need to pre-lighten hair before use. The hair colourant is especially designed for hair with damaged areas such as the ends of the hair which can sometimes go dry or even split. This product is not recommended for use on dark brown or black hair, but can be used on other hair colours such as grey, dark brown, blonde, dark blonde or white. The colourant comes in a box which has a picture of a lady on the front that has very light blonde hair which is what the colour should aim to look like. On the top of the box where you open it, it shows you what the final colour should look like and it states that it comes with a comb for easy, precise application. On the back of the packaging it gives you information about Keratin and shows you briefly the 3 easy steps to colouring, replenishing and to protect you hair using the products included in the box. There is a colour results guide towards the bottom of the box which gives you a guide on what shade you hair colour will turn out after using the colourant on it. On the side of the box there are safety instructions and a list of ingredients. These must be read carefully before using any of the products inside the box for safety reasons. As well as using the colour all over, you can also use it to touch up your roots. It's recommended that you use the same brand to avoid uneven colour.

~ WHAT IS KERATIN? ~ Keratin is a major component of hair, which overtime can be lost. The new Excellence crème enriched with pro-keratin revitalises the look and feel of your hair leaving your colour looking radiant and full of life.

~ PRICE/AVALIABILITY ~ I purchased this from my local Boots store for about £7.00, but they have this on offer a lot on 2 for £12 which is really good value. I haven't seen this on the Boots or Superdug website, so you will need to go in store to purchase it.

~ WHAT'S INCLUDED IN THE BOX ~ · Protective Pre-Colour Treatment - This is a 12ml tube of treatment that you use on damaged parts on your hair, such as the ends. Use this before colouring your hair and do not wash the product out.

· Crème Developer - This should have 2 applicators which includes an applicator tip and a comb for easy, precise application.

· Extra Lightening Crème - This is a 48ml tube and is enriched with Pro-Keratin to help your colour look radiant and full of life.

· Gloves - There should be 1 pair of professional quality gloves. These come folded in a small plastic tub.

· Multi-application Protective Conditioner - This is for use after you have washed the hair colour out and can be used as a treatment on your hair 1 week after using the colourant.

· Instruction leaflet on how to use the product on different types of hair and how to prepare the colourant.

~ PREPARING THE COLOURANT ~ Ensure you do a skin test 48 hours before using the product as some people can experience allergic reactions.

1) Ensure you are wearing your gloves before preparing the mixture. Squeeze the tube of the lightening crème into the applicator bottle which contains the crème developer.

2) Replace the cap of the bottle carefully and shake vigorously to obtain and even mixture.

3) Break off the tip of the applicator immediately after shaking it, to avoid the bottle bursting and damage from the product overflowing.

4) You can also choose to use the comb applicator which glides easily through the hair and allows a quick and easy application.

~ USING THE PRODUCT ~ 1) I used the protective treatment on my hair applying it to the ends and lengths, ensuring I avoided the roots. The protective treatment was like a cream and was a light pink colour. There was a slight smell to it which was pleasant. I didn't use all of the protective treatment on my hair. There are 3 different ways to apply the product which includes Method A on lightened hair which is suitable if you have previously used the product. Method B is if you hair has been coloured in a light or medium shade and Method C if for uncoloured hair. Seeing as I have used this product before I went for Method A.

3) Begin applying the product to the roots. It's easier to use the tip applicator for this, as you can use the tip to help divide the hair into sections to help application. The applicator tip was more accurate and was perfect for using on the roots as I could ensure that all the roots were coated properly. Spread the product at the roots until all the roots are covered. Leave this in to develop for 25 minutes. There is a very strong smell to the product which is expected, so ensure you open a window when applying the product. The crème was white in colour and was reasonably thick.

4) Dampen the lengths and ends of the hair and then spread the product all over your hair. I used the comb applicator for this to ensure I coated all the hair. The comb glided through my hair easily and didn't snag or pull on my hair. Massage this in slightly for an even result.

5) Pour a little lukewarm water on your hair and massage gently to dilute the extra lightening mixture. Ensure you leave the gloves on at all times, even when washing the product out of your hair.

6) Rinse your hair thoroughly with warm water until it runs clear. The product washed out of my hair quite easily using my hands a little to ensure the crème colourant had all gone.

7) Spread some of the protective conditioner through the hair and massage gently. Leave this is for 2 minutes and then rinse. The conditioner smelt nice and was white in colour and quite thick. I was expecting this to leave a lovely fresh smell in my hair.

~ RESULTS ~ Even when my hair was wet I noticed that my hair was noticeably lighter and a lot blonder than it was before using the colourant. I blow dried my hair as normal. And as I was doing this I noticed I could still smell the chemical smell from the hair colourant, which I was surprised at because I had used the protective conditioner as instructed. After drying my hair, I looked in the mirror to admire my new hair colour. The dark roots had now disappeared and my hair was lighter. The colour of my hair was bright and vibrant and looked really summery. I loved my new colour and was impressed at how soft my hair felt even after colouring it. I was disappointed that there was still a slight chemical smell in my hair as the protective conditioner obviously isn't strong enough to take the smell of this out my hair. The colourant was easy to apply, by following the instructions as on the leaflet. The protective conditioner is designed for several applications so you can keep this for more applications between colourings.

~ OVERALL OPINION ~ I have dark blonde coloured hair and normally have highlights, so this colour was perfect for my hair and made it much lighter looking and radiant. The colourant is of course easier if you can get someone else to apply it (sometimes my boyfriend does it for me), how-ever it is also easy to do yourself. I will be buying this colour again when I need to re-colour my hair and cover the roots which start showing. The only let down was the chemical after small that was in my hair despite using the protective conditioner. I have since used the protective conditioner between colouring and it does leave my hair feeling smooth, soft and silky. I give this product 4 out of 5 stars as it works perfectly but the downside is the smell in your hair.

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A great product and one I'll be using again to maintain my lovely new shade of blonde :)

This is a review for Loreal Excellence creme in light ash blonde. I've been keen to start dying my hair myself at home for a while now, due to the expense of going to a salon and the hours it takes for the whole process to be done. I was really worried though about dying over highlights and messing about with my current natural colour which was rapidly growing through! (My hair is light brown naturally) But I knew that once I got the colour right, it becomes a lot easier just to touch up your roots when they need doing and I'll save myself a fortune from not having to go to a salon! However, I made a mistake with the first dye I tried....I tried a different brand but I picked a medium golden blonde (which was as close to my natural colour as I could find-this was a mistake though!) and promptly applied it all over my hair in a rush which meant I missed bits...after half an hour I rinsed it out and dried it only to find that my roots had turned a horrible orange colour and I had dark patches where I'd missed applying the dye! I learnt my lesson there....luckily the colour settled down after a few good washes and my roots started to peep through after a couple of weeks so I thought I would try again but seek advice this time. After speaking to a hairdresser (be warned, they are very wary about giving advice about this sort of thing as they don't want to be liable for things going wrong) they suggested picking a light ash blonde and Loreal was a brand they used in their salon. I was also advised about different timings for the roots and ends. So I decided to try Loreal Excellence creme in light ash blonde and I'm so glad I did. When you read the instructions beforehand there is very clear advice about the timings, depending on your hair colour. I picked option 2 which meant applying the dye all over since my hair was a slightly darker blonde. I was pleased to see the instructions were very clear and easy to use as well. In this pack you receive a little tube of protective treatment which you put on any damaged areas of your hair and the ends. (Don't put it on your roots) then you mix your colour with the gloves provided. They also supply a comb applicator which I found handy for applying the dye to my roots first. Don't do what I did and forget to open a window! The fumes are quite over powering.....anyway I left the dye on for 30 mins (use a timer!) and then rinsed it off. It doesn't mention shampooing your hair in the instructions but I did. They provide a little bottle of conditioner for you to apply as well which left my hair lovely and soft. After drying my hair I was thrilled to see my hair was a lovely shade of light blonde, with no orange tones at all!! There's even a little memo of the shade and number on one of the box flaps for you to rip off and keep for next time :) The only criticism I can give it is the smell....my hair pongs of bleach now, even after shampooing it but this will fade after a few washes. I know everyone's hair is different and not everyone will have the same result as me, depending on what colour hair you have but I'm really impressed with this product and will definitely be maintaining my colour using this brand.UPDATE: I've just used this product again (approx 5 weeks later) to re-do my roots as my hair grows quite fast. Fantastic even result, and so much easier than going to the hairdressers and spending a fortune!

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A reliable hair dye; good value for money

I am currently sat with my L'Oreal Excellence crème hair dye on my head. I have it brushed up in a troll like style while I wait the 30 minutes for it to develop. I am using number 4 Natural Dark Brown.In Asda this was priced at £5.00; moderately priced amongst the other hair dyes. The most expensive hair dyes at the minute are the ones that develop in ten minutes. From previous experience; these take a lot longer and so find them a waste of money. The Excellence crème offer much better value for money. Luckily for me, I picked this box up for £3.50. It was on the discounted aisle because the box was all crushed. I checked that all the bottles and bits were located in side and snapped up my bargain! I couldn't believe it; it was my colour as well.

The L'Oreal Group is the world's largest cosmetics and beauty company and was founded in 1909. Going for this long, they should definitely know a lot about hair products.The product

I find the box rather old fashioned. My colour features a woman with an extremely bad perm and looks like she has walked straight out of the 80's. Not one to judge a hair dye by the cover, let's take a look inside.

In the box are:

* Easy to follow instructions,* A pair of gloves (I was rather unhappy when I got these out. They are the cheap plastic bag ones, thin and huge and fall off at every given opportunity. How much extra would it cost them to prove us with a decent pair of latex gloves? If you know anyone who works in a hospital, ask them to grab a few pairs for you. I find the ones provided close to impossible to work with. )* A Protective pre-colour treatment* The tube of colour* The squeezy bottle of activation cream * A comb attachment* A small bottle of after colour protective conditioner.

Not supplied but definitely required (unless you are very, very careful) is a tub of Vaseline. I like to slather it all over my ears, around my hair line and over my forehead. I am a very messy worker and I hate standing in front of the mirror scrubbing my face with a kitchen scourer trying to remove the hair dye on my face!

Next apply the protective pre-colour treatment. I rub this on the main body of the hair avoiding the roots. I'm not sure what this actually does as I've never come across it in any other hair dyes and I've skipped this step before and not found the results any different!

Next combine the activation cream and the cream dye. Pierce the end of the dye tube and squeeze it into the squeezy bottle. Place the sealed nozzle back on the squeezy bottle and shake the mixture up. I now put on a pair of latex gloves; sticking the supplied plastic bag ones straight in the bin.

I always start on the parting and front hair line and section my hair off to make it easier. I then methodically work through all the roots and then finish off by covering the main body. The box contains a comb attachment for the squeezy bottle. This is a pointless as it is too small and it doesn't grip the hair. It also seems to come out too fast so you don't have much control. I prefer using the squeezy nozzle and using my fingers to rub it in. Once rubbed in, wait 30 minutes. I've had this one before and 30 minutes is definitely all it needs before it takes. I have used this brand before and have noticed that this time I seem to have less mixture. I'm not sure if they measurements have got smaller but I only just had enough to do my whole head; I do not have long hair. It may be advisable to use sparingly until all the hair is covered.

Rinsing off takes a while, make sure you get all the dye out or your head will be itchy afterwards. The conditioner is nice and makes my hair feel really soft. Again there is not much of this and you only get one -two applications.

After my moaning, I do quite like this hair dye and find it reliable. I know exactly what I'm getting. My hair feels full and conditioned and I like the colour, which lasts a long time without fading.

Overall

I'd recommend this hair dye. Look out for buy one get one free offers or 3 for £10.00 as there are plenty of offers around and you will get good value for money

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excellent quality results

im usually a user of garnier however my hair dressing friend advised me that this brand is the closest to salon quality and since i was going from dark brown (lightened with colour b4, see review) i wanted a high quality product to tone out any orangey colour left from stripping my hair. I was a bit skeptical as have tried this in the past with other brands and the blondes just arent strong enough to work.Anyway tried this product and was amazed to see that a home blonde dye actually works. The colour is really nice and left my hair in good condition.

Instructions are easy to follow. test patch info etc included.

is one of the more expensive brands but totally pays off.

only bad point is that the gloves included are naff, but thats just me being picky. i use rubber ones myself.

hope this helps

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Do a strand test to be certain you are going for the right shade!

I am not a natural blonde and have my hair professionally highlighted every five to six weeks. The whole procedure takes around three hours and is quite costly. I never look forward to going to the salon. It's boring, even though my stylist does her best to keep me occupied with her chit-chat, copious amounts of tea and lots of magazines.

My last trip to the salon was somewhat disappointing. For whatever reason, the stylist didn't apply colour close enough to the scalp, meaning I was left with a third of an inch of dark regrowth. Not great for the price I paid! I didn't go back to get it fixed mainly because I couldn't face another three hours covered in foils. Instead, I changed my parting to hide the visible roots. It worked for a while, but after two weeks I looked very trashy indeed.

I was so desperate to look "normal" again, I decided to take matters into my own hands. Having researched all sorts of home colour kits available on the market, I was pretty confident I could do a good job of covering up the roots with L'oreal Blonde Supreme Excellence Creme. The Blonde Supreme range is aimed at people who want to lighten their hair without the use of a pre-lightener. If you have dark hair and would like to be blonde, you first have to bleach it and then either apply a toner or a blonde shade of your choice. This is a tricky procedure to attempt at home, in my opinion. I wouldn't risk double processing my hair myself for fear of becoming bald, not blonde, or obtaining a lovely shade of sunny orange. So, yes, a product that claims to give blonde hair in one easy step is a definite winner!

I bought two boxes just in case. My hair is very thick and quite long so I wanted to be sure I had enough product, even though I was only planning on tinting the roots. I paid around £14 in Boots. You can buy this cheaper online and occasionally large chemists and supermarkets have L'oreal Excellence Creme on offer. I chose the shade "Lightest Natural Blonde" as it closely matched the colour of my hair, apart from the roots, of course. According to the chart on the side of the box, my virgin hair (a light brown) would turn a natural looking medium blonde.

Inside the box I found the usual bottle of developer, a tube of creme colourant, instructions leaflet and a pair of professional quality gloves. The nice surprise was a small tube of protective serum you are supposed to apply to any dry or damaged areas of your hair.

It is extremely important to do a skin sensitivity test before colouring your hair. I have read plenty of horror stories about people ending up in hospital because it turned out they were allergic to hair dyes. I performed the test two days in advance, as per instructions. No bad reaction, so for me it was safe to use the product. I have to admit I did skip the strand test (big mistake!) as I was a bit impatient by then and just wanted to get on with the task.

I prepared the bathroom by protecting the floor and surfaces with newspapers and kitchen roll. The window was wide open to get rid of any toxic fumes. I myself was dressed in an old t-shirt and faded jeans, with vaseline smeared all over my hairline, ears and neck to prevent any burning sensation. Let the fun begin!

Following the instructions, I put on the gloves (excellent quality ones) and mixed the developer with the creme colourant. What a smell! Maybe I'm too sensitive, but it really made me gasp for fresh air. Fortunately, I got used to the strong smell of ammonia pretty quickly. Do keep your windows open though. After parting my hair and securing sections with plastic clips, I carefully applied the mixture to my roots only. Its consistency was fairly creamy and it didn't drip too much. There is an applicator comb you can use instead of the nozzle, but as I wasn't colouring the lengths and ends of my hair, it was pretty much useless to me. Overall, application was straightforward, although a little time-consuming, particularly when I was doing the back of my head and the crown. Maybe I should have asked for help from a friend.

I left the mixture on for longer than recommended. I know that's naughty and damaging, but I really didn't want to wash off the tint when my hair was clearly going through the orange stage! I hoped that another fifteen minutes would sort out the problem.

I washed and conditioned my hair, however I can't comment on the quality of the conditioner that came in the pack as I prefer using my trusted Redken masque. When I looked in the mirror, I was bitterly disappointed with the result. The previously dark roots were a funny peachy/pale orange colour! I like peachy lipsticks and blushers, but to have that colour in my hair is an entirely different matter. My next step was to use a silver shampoo to try and get rid of some of the crazy shade. It did help slightly. Of course, the roots did't match the rest of my hair. At that point I wished I still had dark regrowth!

Since then, I have managed to sort out my peachy colour with a different product (review to follow). I will never forget my expeience with L'oreal Excellence. I didn't get the shade promised. Instead of blonde I got something very unusual indeed! My hair didn't seem damaged after using the product, but I think that's mainly because I only applied the tint to the roots and also used a very good conditioning masque afterwards.

The Blonde Supreme range does wonders for some people, according to the glowing reviews it gets. For me, it was a tiny disaster and I probably won't attempt to colour my hair blonde at home again. So it's back to the salon then...

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Highly recommended

I had an idea today morning: I have to colour my hair. So I went to our local Sainsbury's to buy a permanent hair colour. I found L'Oreal Excellence Crème hair colour on offer and it was available in a wide variety of shades. I have chosen the 731 Dark Caramel Blonde shade and applied it on my red and blonde highlighted dark blonde hair. The result is even and quite similar shade to the lady's hair on the picture on the box. I bought it for 5 pounds.

L'Oreal offers all kinds of cosmetic products which are mostly of good quality and medium to expensive priced. Their products are available in supermarkets, drug stores, pharmacies and online shops.

How to use the product:----------------------------------I read the instruction leaflet first. I decided to use the protective pre-colour treatment on the ends so I pressed the white cream in my palm and applied it on the ends of my dry hair. Then I opened the bottle of crème developer and pressed the protective crème colourant into it. The crème colourant is white, its texture is like a hair conditioner but has mild ammonia scent. I closed the developer's cap and shook it well. Then I replaced the cap with the comb applicator and as it was shown on the instruction leaflet I applied on my hair. When I finished I put on the gloves and massaged it well into my hair. I had to leave it on my hair for half an hour. I think it has a mild scent, it wasn't uncomfortable at all wearing it for half an hour.

The result--------------I tested this product really well as my hair was coloured to dark blonde then highlighted with red and light blonde and naturally dark blonde at the roots. I guess I have some grey hair too but it is not visible as my hair is coloured all the times. So I decided to have even hair colour which is close to my original hair colour.

After the half an hour wait I washed out the colourant and applied the protective conditioner. Before I applied the conditioner my hair was rough as it was very dry. I rinsed the colourant well then applied shampoo and washed well as usually. Instead of my usual conditioner I used the one included in the box. I left it on my hair for 2 minutes as it was suggested on the instruction leaflet and found that my hair was soft like silk again. The conditioner is enough for 2-3 applications at least and has very nice scent.

I could hardly wait to dry my hair to see the new colour. It covered everything evenly and has a very natural, radiant shade as it was stated on the box. My hair is soft and shiny. As my new hair colour is quite close to my original hair colour I am curious who will notice the difference at all ...

My opinion----------------I think it is very easy to use this product. The liquids are about as runny as hair conditioners, so it is easy to apply it. The comb applicator helps a lot to apply the colourant evenly everywhere. Before you start to colour your hair take care to war such clothes you don't have to pull through your head in order to take a shower. I prefer wearing only underwear. If the colourant gets on your clothes it can be rinsed easily if you discover in time. The longer you let it on the textile the harder to remove the stains...

I think this is a very effective product and the pictures on the box give you an idea about the result. The instructions are clear and easy to understand. The bottles are labelled well and the pictures on the instruction leaflet are good enough to identify the bottles even only by their shape.

My hair is of shoulder length and the quantity of the colourant was more than enough on my hair. If you have long hair maybe you have to buy an extra box. I think 5 pounds is excellent value for this product. If you have to buy it on full price that will be around 6.70 pounds.

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The best hair dye for me

I have been dying my naturally light brown hair dark for years and I think in that time I have probably tried nearly every dye on the market but the one that I keep going back to over and over again is Excellence creme by L'oreal. You will be able to find it absolutely everywhere including the supermarket and at boots'superdrug etc and it usually cost's around the £7 mark but sometimes there are deals on where you can buy 2 for less than £10 and with the increasing frequency I am needing to do my hair it makes sense to stock up when they are on offer.

The box is slightly off putting for me as for some reason I find all the models on the packaging to be extrememly old fashioned in their styling compared to other brands and the box itself is just a bit blah and could easily be overlooked on the shelf next to the more jazzy ones.

Inside the box you will get a tube of colourant and an applicator bottle which has the developer inside. As well as the actual dye you also get a bottle of conditioner, a serum, a pair of gloves and some instructions.

To use you just squeeze the colourant into the applicator bottle and shake for a minute or so until mixed together and then you apply immediately to your hair. It's really simple and the applicator nozzle does help with getting a good accurate dose onto your hair especially on the roots. The serum is intended to be used before you apply the dye and you just need to rub a little into the ends of your hair to protect it and stop it from getting damaged by the dye. The serum bottle is tiny but I find that a little really does go a long way. I remember using this dye before it came with the serum and I never had a problem with it being overly damaging but it's nice to have that little bit extra protection.

The gloves in the Excellence packet ae absolutely fabulous and are hands down the best in any dye I have used. They come in a little plasic container and are covered in a powder which makes them so easy to get on and off and they are nice and thick so they also don't snap or burst which is good for making sure I don't get dye on my hands.

You can just do your roots if they are showing but I like to do my full head as I find that it makes my hair a lot more shiney and uniform in colour but for this I do need 2 packets as there isn't enough dye in the one bottle. I just leave it to develop for half an hour and then rinse off. The rinsing off is quite easy especially compared to some others when it takes absolutely ages to remove all the dye. The conditioner is great and really does leave my hair tangle free and shiny and glossy. The bottle isn't particularly large but I do manage to get a couple of uses out of it.

The natural dark brown colour that I use really does cover all my lighter hair and any grey hairs I might have and I never find any stragglers when I have finished. It can be slightly scary when I first wash the dye off as the colour is jet black to begin with and is not the most flattering colour. However I have found over the years that after 2 washes the colour becomes what it will stay which really is a dark brown. As it is a natural colour shade the colour doesn't have loads of different coloured highlights in it but it also isn't matt either and shines in the light and looks healthy and glossy.

I find that the colour doesn't fade but that could be because I never give it the chance to before dying it again. It isn't the cheapest dye but the difference in quality between this and one for say £3 is extremely noticeable and it is worth paying the extra for.

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Why go to a salon when you can do it at home for more than half the price?

I decided to dye my hair this weekend. I was a natural blonde once but have been dyeing my hair brunette for a long time. I haven't dyed it for over 2 years though so I thought I'd chance a lighter blonde. I used Clairols nice and easy but because I have a fair bit of natural red in my hair, it went a kind of strawberry blonde, it was a really nice colour, not orange or anything but I have a fair complexion and it didn't really do me much justice!

I went to Sainsburys to buy a different colour and went for this brand. My hair is quite long and they were on offer, 2 for £9.00, bargain! I opted for the Mahogany brown, I still wanted something different than what I'd had before. I wasn't sure what the colour would come out like as my hair had been dyed the day before and it was lighter than what was recommended but I gave it a go anyway and I'm glad I did.

It was really easy. There is a small pot of serum which you apply to your hair first, supposedly it protects the hair from damages so I put it on.. You then mix the colourant with the cream and apply it straight on top of the serum, no rinsing or waiting! Brilliant!

The applicator comes with a normal tip or a comb for short-mid length hair (would be really easy to use, you litterally comb your hair and apply the dye as you do) but as my hair is long, I just used the ordinary tip. It didn't take long to apply and once I was finished, I left it for 40 mins-it is recommeded to leave for 30 but I left it for an extra 10 as I had only dyed it the day before.

Once the time was up, I rinsed it off and put on the conditioner. I left that for 10 mins, rinsed it off e voila! Perfect.

As always, I also dyed my face, ears, hands and arms but instead of loads of scrubbing and not being able to get it off completely, It came off really easily which was great.

Once dried, I could see the colour at last and it is gorgeous! Looks just like what it does on the box which is supprising, I'd expected at best a lot lighter as my hair was so light and only dyed so recently so I was really impressed.

I'd definately recommend this brand and will be using it again in the future.

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Does what it says on the box

After the excitement of last night's Lego Ferrari review, it's back down to Earth with a bump and a whiff of ammonia.

This is the only hair colour I've tried which consistently covers grey and doesn't fade before the roots start to show. It is widely available in chemists and supermarkets. I usually buy it in Asda where it is quite often on special offer. It generally costs £5-7, depending on where you buy it.

The box is pink and white with a picture of a woman with the appropriate hair colour on the front. The top of the box is a close-up of the colour, and on the side is a small panel showing what results to expect depending on the existing colour of your hair (blonde, light brown or dark brown). Because I use shade 3, Natural Darkest Brown, all the outcomes are the same, but on the lighter shades it can vary.

Inside is a pair of gloves, a tube of colourant, a bottle of developer, a tube of serum, a little bottle of conditioner and an applicator comb (more on this later). It has a good instruction leaflet, which shows each individual step. There are different instructions if you are just touching-up your roots, but I never bother with this, I just colour all my hair and it always turns out fine.

The patch test - I won't go into detail about how to do this or to use the dye as the instructions are in the box, but a word of warning: make sure the colourant dries between applications, otherwise you will end up with it all over your pillowcase.

Application - a good tip is to smear Vaseline all around your hairline and on your ears to prevent staining. If you do get any dye on your skin, a baby wipe or a piece of cotton wool with shampoo on it should get it off. The applicator comb is a recent addition and is supposed to make it easier to get the dye into your roots, but I don't find it that easy to use, so I stick with the normal applicator. You apply the serum to your hair first, and it is supposed to protect the hair. The dye stays on for 30 minutes, then you rinse it out and apply the conditioner (there is enough for two applications, provided your hair is not very long).

Pros of this product - it doesn't have a very strong smell (although you should have a window open anyway), it doesn't drip and it makes your hair lovely and shiny. It does cover grey very well - I have a Bride of Frankenstein-type stripe at the front of my hair, so it is very obvious if a product doesn't cover it properly.

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The best home dye I've found

Until a year ago, I had been a bottle blonde since I was fifteen. Because of this, I'd always paid to have my hair salon dyed. Since then, my mother has stopped bankrolling my haircuts (sob) so after an initial salon trip to head back to a more natural brown ish red colour, I have since dyed my hair at home in order to save the pennies!

After trying several different brands, L'Oreal Excellece Creme has established itself as my firm favourite. The packaging is not as funky and trendy as some other brands, and at first I was dubious that I would end up with an old woman shade of dull brown. But, on the recommendation of a reliable friend, I bought this dye in a Mahogany Brown shade and haven't looked back since.

The kit provides you with pre-conditioner, gloves, the dye itself, an activator and a post-dye conditioner. The pre-conditioner is an excellent idea. You rub it into your hair before you start dyeing where your hair might need some extra help. I've had trouble when dyeing my hair before with getting the colour to be even through my hair where it perhaps is a little fried from over use of straightners. The pre-conditioner helps overcome this, and is an excellent addition.

To make up the dye you squirt the colour into the activator bottle and give it a really good shake up. The kit comes with a fancy comb applicator which screws onto the top of the bottle, but this doesn't work for my hair as there is too much of it - I have long and very thick hair. So, I stick to using the old style squirter, and this does a fine job.

With this product it's advised that you work it through your roots first, leave for ten minutes then apply to the rest of your hair, and leave for a further twenty. In my opinion this is good advice - your hair ends up looking the same colour all the way through instead of being paler at the roots. So after rinsing, you apply the beautiful smelling conditioner and there you have it. Hair dyed within half an hour.

I really like this dye kit. Although it take it bit longer than the ten minute ones the results are better. I find the ten minute dyes wash out pretty quickly, whereas this one lasts a good few weeks longer. The colour it gives me is rich, and not too flat. The red in the mahogany gives it a lift and stops it from being a boring flat brown. I'm naturally a light mousey brown shade and the results on me are a mid-brown with a hint of red.

For a home dye kit, the results are surprisingly multi-tonal unlike other kits which can just look like a block. On average I'd say I dye my hair every other month with this product, which is OK for a home dye kit in my opinion. At around £6-7 it saves me about £60 compared with a salon dye so I can't complain. Unlike other kits (in spite of my mountains of hair) I don't need two boxes, so its worth paying a little more for this one compared to other kits.

There are a couple of niggles with this product - it stinks (which I'd expect during application) no matter how long I rinse it for after the smell hangs around for until at least the next wash. Also, the colour does fade from its original very rich tones quite quickly - I'd say after four washes it looks less rich than it did. But to me, this isn't too bad. The colour doesn't look awful after this time, just a bit less nice than at first.

Overall, this product is saving me a fortune on salon colours. I was nervous about dyeing my hair at home for the first time but haven't looked back since. I'd recommend this product to anyone looking for results which are not too drastic, but look good. This kit offers the closest I've found to a salon dye effect, which is the best recommendation i can give it.

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A good product

I sadly do have to admit to having some grey hairs so need to dye my hair to disguise the fact I am aging.

I chose to use the L'Oreal excellence crème dye as it was reduced in Tesco's. It was reduced from £6.47 to £3.23. It was dark caramel brown which seemed close to the shade I wanted.

I haven't used this type of Dye before and was surprised that it contained a tube of protective pre colour treatment which is something I have never come across before. It is applied to the hair but you need to avoid the hair roots.

One thing I do like about L'Oreal Dye's is that they are applied to dry hair this to me is time saving. I apply baby lotion to the edge of my hair line so that any dye that gets on my skin can easily be removed. I then mixed the hair dye with the applicator before snapping the top off to avoid the bottle exploding.

The box does give some important advice:

It does always advise a skin allergy test but I have never done these but certainly don't recommend omitting them as I do have a friend who had an allergic reaction and had to have her hair shaved off.

Do not colour for 15 days after perming or lightning

Do not use if hair has been coloured with henna.

It comes with the good quality plastic gloves that fit not the cheap plastic ones that are attached to the instructions

It comes with two applicator tops one the usual pointed spout and the other a comb applicator. It does advice not to use the comb if you have long or frizzy hair and as I have both I used the pointed spout.

It was quite thick so didn't drip and there was plenty dye to cover my shoulder length hair.

It advised to keep the dye on for 3o minutes but think I kept it on for a few extra minutes due to been in the middle of cleaning up.

It washed out easily enough and came with a large tube of conditioner which was enough for two applications.

The results: I was pleased with the condition of my hair but don't think it was any better than without the pre colouring serum. I found the colour darker than I expected but this may be down to the additional couple of minutes it was on my hair.

I am happy with the hair products but next time think I will leave the colour on for just under 30 minutes rather than over.

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Good quality permanent hair colour.

L'Oreal Excellence is a permanent hair colour I've been using more than any other colour over the years. It offers a good range of colours you can mix together if you like, and provides consistent results without having an obvious marketing 'gimmick' to sell the products with; just a good quality, basic permanent colour range.

The product is packaged in a feminine looking peach-coloured cardboard box, with a picture of a model wearing the particular colour on the front. When selecting a shade, please remember that the picture of the model on the box has been taken in heavy red/yellow studio lighting, and looks lighter than the shade will be on you in daylight, for instance.

The box contains: a bottle of developer cream, a tube of colour cream, a little use-once tube of after colour conditioner, gloves and an instruction sheet.

The developer cream needs to be mixed with the tube of colour as usual, and the mixture is nice and thick, so it doesn't drip and make a mess when you start to apply it, even if you're creating highlights using foil like I am with these colours. The mix will be white at first, and turns quite a bit darker throughout the developing time. The smell of the product is not great, but it's not too repulsive or strong either, and it doesn't last in your hair too long afterwards (takes one/ two washes).

The development time is 30 minutes, after which you need to emulsify the colour (add a little water on the hair in the shower, rub it a little as if you have shampoo in your hair) and rinse off. As I'm mostly using the lighter shades of the colour range, I leave the colour on for 45-50 minutes, as my hair takes a little longer to get to the colour it's supposed to, due to the fact that the light shades need to open and penetrate the hair shaft, to remove the current colour in the hair. (The darker colours take less to be ready to wash off, as the colour sits on top of all existing colours in the hair, just coating it from the outside of the hair shaft.)

When applying the colour, be mindful of where you get it on your skin, and remove any stains with a little body lotion/ baby oil or similar, as the darker colours especially do stain your skin if left on for too long.

What I like about the range is that there are enough colours to choose from for you to be able to find the correct shade, or even mix them together if you feel like it. I also like that fact that I can divide one box into two colourings, as highlights don't require as much product as an all-over colour.

It's also quite a good thing that the lightening strength of the shades isn't too strong to give you too high a contrast in your hair when you're using the shades for highlights. The result is always more or less subtle, so not the trailer-trash-chic-bright-light-yellow-against-brown that you might get with pre-lighteners.

I need to mention something about the shades as well, having tried quite a few. Be a little bit wary of the 'pure' or 'bare' shades, that have numbers with no decimals (5, 6, 7, 8 etc. instead of 7.3, 9.11, 8.3) as these are trying to not be golden or ashy, but just plain, which often means that they contain a lot of green-based pigment, and can make your hair look pretty lifeless, dull, dirty and even a bit grayish. It seems that 6.3, despite supposedly being the golden one of the 6 shades, can leave your hair a little dirty and dull looking as well, instead of golden. Before plopping any of the bare shades on your hair, I would definitely do a strand test to make sure you can live with the colour. In general, anything else than the 'pure' shades and 6.3 seem like quite a safe bet (although I only prefer to use this product for highlights, as I think that works much better than an all-around flat colour).

The end result of the colour is quite nice and shiny considering the fact that you've just damaged your hair with a cheap permanent colour. Good product all around.